The YOLK Solar Cow is helping to improve access to electricity and education in developing nations. Placed near schools, the solar charging system that literally looks like a cow has “power milk”—white, portable batteries—­that students can take home to their families. Around 500 kids took charged batteries home during pilot programs in Kenya and Tanzania. YOLK says the product will chip away at broader global inequality issues by providing energy to low-income families and encouraging them to send their children to school

A major challenge of spaceflight is the weight of fuel, which dramatically increases costs. The LightSail 2 satellite, launched in June, may have proved how to lighten the load. It’s currently flying free using only light as fuel. When photons from sunlight hit its silvery sail, they impart a small force that increases velocity without the need for an engine or thruster. On July 31, LightSail successfully accelerated enough to raise its orbit by 1.25 miles